4:0 In the face of evidence: Dempsey & Makepeace
by haveunotthought
Summary: Both Dempsey and Makepeace are sure of their own feelings towards the other but remain unconvinced they are reciprocated. Will the exhibition at the Natural History Museum throw any light on the present day dilemma?
1. Chapter 1

_The first 5 chapters of this story run through Guardian Angel, If you want only brand new story lines then skip to chapter 6, but I hope you enjpoy the exploration of the story and how it builds into future stories_

When Harry heard the words I don't want to see you die either, her black despair flipped to the brilliance of pure hope. But it became a more like the white flash of an explosion as all her hopes were shattered by Dempsey's next words 'no one likes to see any one die' and 'what was this all about?'

Well Lieutenant James Dempsey it was about us she thought but as the words 'was' and 'us' bounced around her mind duplicating themselves and reaching an ever increasing crescendo of 'was' and 'us' she suddenly had to get away, escape to anywhere.

Dempsey walked after her, then shrugged his shoulders; she would come around, she always did and he reflected she hadn't been off on one for sometime. He started his search for his informant.

Harry could hardly breath, she drove off looking for air and some half an hour later found herself sitting hemmed in by the window frame at home. She had no recollection of getting there and as the hours passed no idea of time or that it was passing at all. Rather like the shock experienced by those she had delivered news of murder to she now echoed their experiences.

Her mind frequently filled with the same image of Dempsey lying there with a bullet in his temple. In an attempted to dislodge the torture she would remind herself that he was alive and kicking and not about to take the boat to safety. The trouble was the proof that Lieutenant Dempsey was alive brought with it an even greater torture and grief than not only split her heart but crushed it as well.

Over the past few months Harry had lived a delusion - at least that was what she was currently contemplating. She thought of the times her and Dempsey had shared: nights out, nights in, times of fun, times of comfort and support. She had clung on to Simone's belief that he cared very much about her and there had certainly been times when she had been able to persuade herself that was true. Now she was forced to admit that the other times, the times when she thought there was nothing there were more accurate. She certainly cared about him, her mourning was an unspoken testimony to that and unfortunately, or may be fortunately, she had been unaware of just how strong her feelings were until the sound of the gunshot rang out through the Mausoleum.

If she had realised sooner would it have made any difference she questioned herself. She couldn't know but she persuaded herself that as Dempsey had had plenty of opportunities to express something of his feelings and since he had not there was obviously nothing for him to express.

She remembered back to their first meeting, to him putting a fiver on the tray, at least he hadn't put it down her bra. She thought of sitting waiting for the explosion to kill them both, his words to her "I'm sorry", how intimate it was to die with someone, it was a different sort of losing ones virginity she thought. Just a few hours ago it was Dempsey who was dead. She shook her head; no he's not actually dead.

Dempsey was a loyal partner and she knew he always would be but what on earth would she do if he was killed right in front of her? Could she keep working in an arena of unrequited love? How was she going to protect herself from such turmoil?

She wanted to cry, but she couldn't; she told herself to get a grip there was no death to grieve over. But there was, it was a different death, death of a relationship hers and Dempsey's; hers and the police. It would have to end. Suddenly she knew what the solution had to be, she moved to her desk, took out pen and paper and wrote.

She sealed the envelope straight away and then made a phone call.

'What!' The recipient couldn't believe his ears, but being an elderly professor he had acquired a lot of wisdom and he deftly put this into practice. He offered his very able ex student a project to take on. His reasoning, which he kept to himself, was that it was important to keep someone going through a crisis occupied. He also knew that there was very little point in arguing or going in for long conversations about the crisis; time, not advice, was by far the best gift in these situations. This was practice he had used many many times with his students, he did wonder what the crisis Harriet Winfield was going through was caused by. He could recollect her choice of the police force and his disappointment that she wouldn't be using her great mind and passion for history. There had been quite a lot of persuasion and heated advice back then trying to persuade her against the police career, all of which had been premise wasted and he had been glad he'd kept out of it all and just advised her to follow her heart.

As Dempsey was drinking with Dan and celebrating he was totally unaware of the torment Harry was still feeling as she tried to concentrate on reading the brief and design if the exhibition she was to start putting together tomorrow morning. She just kept digging deeper into her resolve and turning the pages making notes, just as she did when reading a case report.

Across London Spikings had read the letter three times, his mood darkening more with each reading. "Where the hell is Dempsey?" he asked Chas, who had no idea and was forced to confirm for the fourth time within one hour that there was no response to the RT.

Spikings sat back in his office, the others had all left. He read yet again the neat handwriting of Sergeant Makepeace, searching to no avail for clues as to why the letter was in his hand. It gave no details, just that from immediate effect she tendered her resignation. He was forced to speculate if it had anything to do with Dempsey, or the shooting that morning. She certainly had been very distracted and preoccupied, he was aware that if Dempsey had known the reason he wouldn't have told him when asked and as much as one small part of him wanted to blame Dempsey he wasn't so convinced that it really was Dempsey's fault per say. He filed the letter away deciding that tomorrow was another day and that he would address the issue again then when a drunken Dempsey staggered into the office.

Lying in bed, failing to sleep Spikings was still none the wiser. He was obliged to admit that Dempsey was as shocked and at a loss to explain anything as himself. It was one way to induce instant soberness he reflected. He had seen a deep hurt cut into Dempsey's eyes and had dropped the silent, shell shocked partner home before making his own way back to Mrs Spikings. He had made one decision, he'd tell everyone that Harry was off sick and ask HQ for cover whilst this job was a goer.

The news had punched Dempsey hard in the gut and pulled him into a state of alertness but once home he kicked everything in sight that he could: the door, the sofa, the kitchen cupboards, the bath, the bed. He punched the pillows and then threw them across the room. He started to undress using his belt again to vent his anger, he lashed the bed then tossed it to one side, he lay flat on his back on the bed, not bothering to retrieve the pillows and shouted at the ceiling "you couldn't even tell me! Damn you Harry why did you do that? … Harry why not tell me? Harry, Harry" He cried silent tears that he failed to form or fall. He woke cold and aching in the morning and drank double strength black coffee and resolving to confront his confusion drove over to 187 Camberwell Grove.


	2. Chapter 2

Harry woke feeling sick, she deliberately made tea rather than coffee but found she couldn't stomach any breakfast. The phone rang and she deliberately left it to the answer machine; as she heard Spikings demand her presence in his office she was grateful she had done so. She made a mental note to use the answer machine to screen all calls in the next few days.

This was a new beginning she told herself, a new job and a new way of working, she showered, dressed and opened a bottle of champagne. She poured herself a glass and toasted 'new beginnings' and sat down to work doggedly ignoring the hollow pit in her stomach and the ache that told her that something was far from right.

Spikings got into the factory early and requested for the cover to go directly to the observation site. He made his phone call and waited because he could think of no other option.

Across London Dempsey stood on the doorstep and spoke as Makepeace opened the door. "Hi can I come in"

"Look I'm really busy err can it wait?" It was no surprise to Harry that Dempsey stood there, but as she hadn't formulated her strategy for coping with Dempsey yet she stalled, not really knowing how she was going to handle this and regretting not making more plans in anticipation.

"No" he stepped in "What the hells going on hey?"

"Well I can only assume you're referring to my resignation"

"What was it something I did I apologise" Despite his utter frustration Dempsey had resolved to come with every intention of making any reconciliatory move he had to, he knew only one thing and that was he needed her, he needed Harry in his life.

"There's nothing to apologise for - for once. Look as much as I would love to…"

As Dempsey walked further into her home the auto pilot of gritty, strong willed, determination that Harry was very used to running switched in.

"...discuss this with you I really do have a lot of work to do"

"we both do, remember we were in the middle of a case, as a matter of a fact I have a good lead on what crazy Joe was up to"

"I don't seem to be getting through to you do I?" That Dempsey didn't seem to accept that she could do anything other than partner him annoyed her intensely.

He walked through

"Would you like a drink?"

"What's that spoon do?" he asked as she took it out of the bottle to pour

"Keeps the champagne from going flat"

"Well why don't you stick that in your sense of humour because this resignation is a really bad joke"

That she didn't feel the need to offer any explanation to her partner frustrated and irritated Dempsey. To Dempsey police partners were supposed to be as loyal as marriage partners, he'd said that much – in sickness and health, until death do us part, damn you Dempsey this is serious, what is your pension or my freedom… - his mind had wandered back in time for a brief moment. How could it of come to this he contemplated, there had to be grounds for a divorce and he wanted to hear them.

"Want some"

"What's all this?"

"All this is my new job" Harry sat down "I'm helping an old professor of mine set up an exhibition at the natural history museum"

"Boy you don't waste any time do you? The natural history museum? Dinosaurs are extinct you know"

"So is Neanderthal man, hadn't you better be going"

His mind was still mixing the metaphor of police partners, marriage commitment and their personal relationship and suddenly there it was, the discussion no longer about work, at the flick of a word they had moved from work into personal stuff and now the words were flying.

"You're playing a dangerous game Harry I hope you know the rules"

"What rules are they James?"

"You're not irreplaceable you know"

"Neither are you"

As the front door slammed, Harry gave in and sobbed. She didn't want to know that she was replaceable, at least she didn't want to be told so, she had already worked that out. She looked at he books in front of her and reminded herself of yesterday's decision and the reasons behind it. She lectured herself that as hard as it would be it was for the best and at least the first hurdle with Dempsey was out of the way but it bothered her that he looked so hurt, that wasn't part of her plan.

Dempsey knew why he said those words, he was cut to pieces by her hardness of heart but he regretted that he'd said them because he knew he didn't mean it. His even greater regret was that he had absolutely no idea what was behind Harry's stance. The only way knew how to cope when he felt so abandoned was to try and bury himself in work. What was eating her, he rolled his mind back further to the days when they fought frequently, in a perverse way it was much more comforting than recalling sharing their intimate times of the recent months.

He found some hope - they always seemed to come right in the end.

Harry decided that the only way to hold herself together was to get to the museum, where other people were she couldn't let herself indulge in moments of weakness.

Dempsey failed to conceal his frustrations with the situation. He threw his frustrations around the stake out: having another woman replace Makepeace was galling and he couldn't be bothered to be civil but the news that Daish had presented himself as bait gave him hope. Harry had a passion and Daish would be certain to help her come around, he posed a level of temptation that Dempsey didn't think his partner would be able to resist; after all she like him lived for justice.

Walking around the museum was both positive and negative for Harry. Busyness, task and the presence of strangers helped Harry; but she knew why she was there and what she was avoiding and the time was passing slowly as she struggled with the results of yesterdays decisions. When Dempsey walked up to her her resolve was at a low ebb, her heart was beating and she was feeling glad that he hadn't yet given up with her.

Just two minutes later everything was in tatters again.

You come here. You don't ask me what I'm doing; you don't ask me how I am doing because you don't care how I'm doing all you care about is Daish…..

The attentions and interest in her life and her opinion afforded her by William De Kindersley came back to her and she reviewed them in a very different light.

Bloody Dempsey really had taken the biscuit; she really couldn't care about the low life of London this had always been about them – Dempsey and Makepeace – but he seemed to think the way to crack her façade was via work, well right now she really couldn't care about Daish, there would always be criminals, and Dempsey could go get them.

She had hoped that Dempsey would show some interest in her but no, he saw work, work and more work, she was work and nothing more in his eyes and that both hurt and disappointed her.

"She was bored by him"; "she never wanted to see him again."

The words left her lips and for the second time in one day she saw the pain they caused. As Dempsey walked away she saw him walking away from her forever and immediately she regretted her decisions. The flash of William asking about her interests, how she was and caring about her had been followed by the recollection of James stepping in after Billy's funeral, of him watching 'On the Waterfront' of the Chinese they shared. As she watched Dempsey walk away down past the dinosaurs her mind was back when Dempsey was holding her after the thriller killer, on the sofa then at her request as she slept and she suddenly panicked that she made the wrong decisions.


	3. Chapter 3

When Dempsey received his attempt of outreach flung back into his face along with vehement criticism he had no idea what to do. As he walked away he felt a looming cloud of hopelessness descend, he had no vision of what to do or where to go to try and appease Makepeace. If he only knew where things had gone so wrong, but he struggled, all he could remember were times of mutual comfort, support and fun. He had been convinced that she understood his true feelings.

When he parked outside the SI10 offices he reflected that somewhere along the line he had learnt his way around the streets of London given that he had driven on auto pilot; he could remember nothing of the past hour.

He joined Joyce and Spikings but had very little to say, he was finding it very hard to care about Daish. In fact his mind, emotions and body all felt totally numb and the conversations and plans were dragging on. Someone had cleared Harry's desk so they could put all the photos out on it; he wondered if it was a portent of the future; it was one he didn't wish to contemplate.

Dempsey felt strangely grateful for Spikings invitation, with no idea of his own as to what to do, how to resolve the situation or handle the consequences any support was welcome however unlikely the source. He would later reflect on how supportive Spikings was and how he seemed happy for the two of them to have a relationship but at the time the numbness dulled a lot of the thought process.

Spikings reflected how grateful he was that his wife and dealt with any love crisis his own son and daughter had gone through. At that time there had been great advantages in being called out to work; now he was sitting feeling very uncomfortable, tongue tied and wondering if fly fishing would solve this problem. He was absolutely convinced that Makepeace's letter had something to do with Dempsey and not work.

As they sat down with their beer he asked "You have apologised haven't you Dempsey? Only I…"

"She said there was nothing to apologise for" cut in Dempsey

"You have no idea?" Spikings asked

"No, something upset her"

"I want you to tell me what happened yesterday" Spikings demanded

"Nothin, Crazy Joe got shot, she walked off"

"No Lieutenant – I want every detail, including the ones you don't want to tell"

"I don't know – just that"

"You spoke to her afterwards?"

"Yeh, she said that Crazy Joe shot me - but the gun didn't go off – so here I am, alive an' kicking and she's in a mood. What's the matter? Is she mad that I'm still alive? Does she think Crazy Joe should have shot me? Does she want out from me that much?" The questions flooded out of Dempsey's mind "Life is hard, them you die – but I ain't dead yet"

"So have you had a 'difference of opinion' recently?" Spikings edged his thoughts forward.

Once again Dempsey thought back - the past few months had been really quite on that front. His mind drifted through the weeks and months of the early summer, her biggest complaint had been about wet towels and the bathroom floor but he decided it inferred far more than the truth and kept that one quiet.

"Dempsey!" Spikings grabbed his attention back to the present

"She said she didn't want to see me die" Dempsey had a sudden flash back that brought him a bit more hope.

It brought Spikings some sense of relief, he had been confused at the idea of Harry wanting Dempsey dead – may be a couple of years ago but not recently, not by his observations. Something actually made a little sense to him now. "It's barely two months since Swaybe threatened her life, less than that since Billy Newman died and then she sees you shot - 'Broads are sensitive' I believe was your phrase Lieutenant"

"Yeh but Harry's different" Dempsey defended her, Spikings was less sure. He supped some more beer and tried once more.

"She saw Crazy Joe shoot you dead and you don't think that might have something to do with her reaction?"

"But I wasn't"

"Tell me Dempsey – if you thought Harry was dead"

"I've been there" Spikings knew exactly when

"And?" he asked

"It screwed me"

"Because?"

"Because I care"

"And you think she doesn't"

"I told you, we care about each other, we're partners"

When Dempsey failed to grasp his initial idea about caring for each other Spikings wondered how on earth he was going to get through, his lack of experience in this realm self evident.

'Care?' Dempsey could still recall those words ringing out and stopping him for shooting Coltrane. The choice between a future without Coltrane versus a future with the Sergeant had been a very real choice and he had made that choice some six months ago.

That Harry 'Care Cared' for Dempsey was Spikings best attempt to avoid the words fallen in love. Dempsey finally understood where Spikings was trying to go - well that was what he had hoped these last few weeks or more but his analysis of the situation had not supported his hopes and, as far as he could deduce, ditching the force was one obvious way of ditching him. Despite that interpretation an uncontrolled hope tried to rise though and as it twisted around his logic he asked "So why she quit then?"

"Perhaps she doesn't think you care that way about her" Spikings suggested

Dempsey was shocked, did Spikings know that he did? Now he was completely off balance and his guard was down, that soft under belly fully exposed again as he went through the levels of address "Chief, Boss, Gordon" and the question that left him totally exposed "am I boring?" The desperation and vulnerability, let alone the question left Spikings convinced he was way out of his depth and about to drown. He had no idea on how to respond so he supped more of his beer and looking at his watch exclaimed that Mrs Spikings would be demanding his presence. Dempsey watched him go, drank his own beer and tried to elucidate both the recent conversation and situation. Dan's weird image of a women, painted as street art on a wall drew him back to his snout – maybe he could explain it.


	4. Chapter 4

Makepeace had tried to bury herself back in the project, it had barely worked and time seemed to move forward very slowly but eventually it passed and back at home she had forced herself to eat something then sat at her piano.

As she played she suddenly thought she was watching from outside herself. Her right and left hands played different notes, different patterns, different clefs; sometimes they were at far ends of the keyboard, at others close together and occasionally her left hand lifted over her right hand to reach an unusually combination of notes. She tried to decide if it was an allegory or metaphor of her and Dempsey.

She wasn't one for going back on her decisions; neither was she easily led by the opinion of others – she had stuck to her guns about her police force career and been proved right. Now, she kept repeating to herself, she would stick to this decision. The trouble was she couldn't stop her scene with James at the museum from replaying itself in a never ending loop.

On every loop she could recall a time when James really did annoy her or a time when another man had shown her interest, consideration and attention and she used such memories to persuade herself that she really didn't care about Dempsey. The trouble was that after every brief scene like that there followed a far longer memory of good times spent together with James but rather like a nightmare into every good memory, whenever she was about to smile, the image of him with a bullet in his forehead, blood trickling down his face seared itself into the middle of her vision.

All the time her hands moved from left to right to left, together and apart, the music of Beethoven's Pathetique reflected her sadness.

When the doorbell went her heart beat speed up, half of her hoped against all odds that it was James, the other half wondered how to get rid of him. Her head said stick to her guns, her heart told her to give him, to give them a chance. Her head told her he obviously only cared about work, her heart threw up a myriad of practical expressions of his concern for her. She opened the door and raised her voice above the disappointment that surged through her.

"Joyce"

It started off easily enough, the words of another confirming how difficult Dempsey was to work with invited Makepeace to collude. He was damn difficult to work with and Harry felt this visit might be helpful in helping her find the resolve she was lacking. She sipped her wine and the conversation continued, almost surreptitiously Harry found herself defending Dempsey. As she spoke about him being the best detective she knew her heart started bleeding again. The ache, hurt and pain registered in her tone, eyes and the way she held her body and Joyce spotted every sign. Bemused as to how on earth anyone could fall for the American oaf Joyce was still of the opinion that Harry deserved to keep her career, her conciliatory encouragement drawing the inevitable confession from Harry – the thoughts that drove the resignation letter, the only genuine reason she had resigned 'she couldn't bear to see him shot'.

Joyce decided to leave Harry to reconsider her decision.

Harry felt confused, every time she thought she had a handle on her feelings and reactions something happened to cause her to doubt. As she slept fitfully she could come to no resolution. Her eyes shut for a while but never for long enough to give her any true rest.

Dempsey had tried, but the words that sounded so eloquent in his head would not come out of his mouth. Dan had told him he wasn't interested in any excuses or fake reasons as to why he couldn't say anything to Harry. Dan berated Dempsey, if she really meant that much he would overcome his hurdles. Dempsey seemed to think that drink might free his tongue, Dan doubted it but was never one to turn away a drinking partner and by 2am the two of them were far too drunk to speak coherently or without slurring every word with the next.

_Dempsey is woken by Joyce Hargreaves calling him to say the job was on the move. Despite being told to follow and wait for him she stepped in which resulted in her being knocked down by the escaping bank vault robbers._

_Back at the factory the tap on the car phone gives vital new information and Dempsey goes once again to the museum to try and get Makepeace to come to the drop off with him. He stops halfway up the grand staircase as he sees her passing above, the conversation spasm the great hall._

"Makepeace you gotta come with me now I need your help"

"I have a job to do here Dempsey"

"Fine but may be you'd like to sign this get well card for St Hargreaves because she's in a coma"

"Joyce?"

"She was run down by an escape vehicle in the pursuit of your duty"

"Is she going to be alright?"

"Yeh no thanks to you"

"It isn't my fault"

"Well she'd be ok if you'd been on the case"

"Don't try to pin that on me Lieutenant that's below the belt. If you've just come here to lay a guilt trip on me ……….

Below the belt it might have been but the whole death issue was raised again when Makepeace heard that Joyce was in hospital. Joyce's words "Didn't you see he's safer out there with you" started to ring ever so slightly true. But she couldn't consider the full implications because other words were pouring out.

"Alright, Alright - I'm sorry you're right, but I need your help, come on we can still get Daish I've got it on the tab he's gonna make the drop in an hour, come on do it for Joyce"

"I'm doing something for myself for once get someone else"

"There is no one else"

It was about work again – all be it a work that she loved and they made the perfect team but never one for being weak willed and still frustrated that it wasn't about her only about Daish she continued to argue back "I'm not the only choice"

"You are for me Harry what do you want me to do, beg, go down on my knees, ok, I'm begging you ok. Come on there isn't time to train anyone. We know each others moves before we make them. Come on Harry we're a team??"

The desperation of Dempsey on his knees imploring her, she knew cost him so much – it flowed out of such deep place in his being. She realised that her walking away was not going to be as easy for him as she imagined. "Harry please Harry, Harry I need you"

What nearly took the ground away from beneath her feet were the words "I need you" There was somewhere within her that knew the whole conversation had shifted again from work to them.

Later when she could try to analyse it her logic would go with the reasoning that 'I need you' actually related to work but for the first time she knew like only a woman knows, at least like Simone knew, that he needed her outside of work, in his personal life. The first capitulation is always the hardest, the second so much more predictable she knew that but she persuaded herself

"Just this one job" like an alcoholic sipping his first drink of the night, a gambler rolling the first dice – They too like to pretend they are in control.

The release Dempsey felt as the words 'I need you' finally escaped his lips coupled with the response of Makepeace drove his leap and he punched the air "Alright"


	5. Chapter 5

_As they sat in the pub waiting for the drop to happen Dempsey couldn't keep his smile hidden or his eyes off Harry_

"What are you looking at?"

"Nothing" Well he couldn't be expected to change that quickly. He was looking at what he hoped was the closing of mini drama in his and Harry's relationship.

_The drop happen, the inevitable shooting and Daish was at the bottom of the river. Dempsey and Makepeace make their way back to the cars._

"You still gonna leave?"

"Yep I've made my decision"

"Hurt your head?"

"No I was just thinking"

He didn't know when the idea had first come to him but or even if he had thought the whole thing through but he just knew in his gut that he wouldn't work in London without Harry. Any further plans hadn't had time to form. As he walked back alongside Makepeace who had momentarily found her self discipline again sticking to her decision the idea came to birth. There was no time to consider ulterior motives or intended or unintended consequences. His heart was broken – just bleeding, oozing – London was about Harry that was all he knew.

"Well I'd better be going"

"Control to Charlie 5 come in please"

"Aren't you going to get that, bound to be for you"

"Well I've made a decision too"

"Yeh what about"

"I'm resigning also"

"Whatever for" Harry was genuinely shocked; she hadn't foreseen this one in any way shape or form.

"You think I like working in this place without…"

"…Control to Charlie 5 come in please"

"Without what?" Her heart beat fast, there was a sudden mad and fanciful hope rising from deep within. Dempsey knew, he knew exactly without what but to get those words up from his heart, out of his mouth – that was the route that had been permanently blocked. So far just those words I need you had made it out and as he looked at her he fought. He fought himself and his incompetence, he fought for his life but it was far harder than wrestling someone to the ground. He knew so well what his desire was, he didn't understand why he found it so very difficult to verbalise but the image of Harry about to walk out of his life for ever – her eyes, her smile, her smell, her beauty, her voice. He had to fight to keep it.

Harry watched the torture writhing around Dempsey. He so obviously found this hard, in a way that helped. She knew this was no light flippant comment that was coming, she knew it would reflect all he felt and she knew what she was hoping for.

"Without you" Dempsey felt so uncomfortable

"Control to Charlie 5 this is a Seven Ten come in please"

"Bound to be for you aren't you going to answer it" Harry asked with as much disembodied interest as she could muster to cover her optimism

"You don't work here, I don't work here, screw it." When he had said he would quit he really had meant it. Quitting meant giving up who he was, but Dempsey felt that he was nothing without Harry. Was it a big risk? No because if she didn't come back then he didn't want to be here- so it was no risk at all; at last he realised that the only risk was to do nothing, to say nothing – that way he knew he was going to lose her.

"Control to Charlie 5 are you reading me over"

Harry thought and she thought hard and fast, the call was persistant and embodied much more than one seven ten response, it was a life and death call, this was the seven ten call on her / Dempsey and SI10…………….. She wondered if Dempsey had any idea why she had resigned or that she had developed such strong feelings for him. She now knew with absolute certainty that she loved Dempsey. It wasn't just a partner she thought she'd lost the other day in the mausoleum she would have lost her whole life.

Dempsey's life was police work, she couldn't see him give that up, she couldn't be the reason he stopped working, stopped living; even if he didn't love her, her love for him forced Makepeace to sacrifice her own personal desires for his well being - that's what you did if you were in love. If his working depended on her working then that was it, she would work! she held the speak switch on the RT "This is Charlie 5 to control come in please

Dempsey's struggles were well rewarded; the smile that emerged on Harry's face didn't need words for Dempsey to interpret. For once he had said something that Harry understood and he was satisfied, for the second time in one day he had voiced something of his feelings, he felt sure Dan would be proud of him.

The joy that danced light footedly in his heart could barely be contained, he wanted to lift Harry off her feet, twirl her around then set her down and kiss her. His wide grin just continued to grow spreading literally from ear to ear, his eyes transfixed onto her face.

Harry felt such a sense of relief and light-headedness that she giggled. If Dempsey was flying with euphoria she was floating. It felt so right, she just hadn't realised how right until now.


	6. Chapter 6

Dempsey leaned across the chasm caused by the car door and took the RT

"Yo! We've got Daish and the money in the drink any chance of some divers Chas?"

Back at SI10 Spikings had taken over the RT and his frustrated, aggravated response just built continuously; both Dempsey and Makepeace felt too drunk with relief to care and they continued to laugh as the rant which included words such as Dempsey, Cowboy, Yank, Gun ho and back to America. Dempsey was leaning to his right holding the RT just away from his right ear, enabling Makepeace to lean left and do likewise, the crowns of their heads touched. When they heard Chas inform Spikings that Makepeace was present Dempsey put his finger to his lips to indicate silence; the explosion exceeded their expectations and Harry was glad not to be standing near Spikings as "Makepeace" was bellowed over the airwaves.

Dempsey spoke into the RT "Hey boss we'll take the seven ten"

"You bloody well won't I want the pair of you in here RIGHT NOW"

"Well we've got quite a bit to sort out here Chief the money's at the bottom of the river, along with Daish and the stiff in the pub needs id and the prisoner..

"Oh you managed not to shot the whole lot" Spikings was sarcastic

"Me Sir I never shot no one" Dempsey protested his innocence

"Leave them to the uniformed boys it'll be the highlight of their week I want to know why Daish went swimming and when DS Makepeace got out of her sick bed"

"You want us to sort the seven ten out on our way in?" Dempsey was keen to delay their arrival, sensing time may help them.

"Are you deaf? Don't you dare say there's static I want you in and I want you in NOW! Do you read me Lieutenant?"

"Loud and clear"

"So what you think the Boss is going to say?" Dempsey asked as he and Makepeace walked up the stairs at SI10. They had driven back independently both feeling more unsure than they expected and both choosing to concentrate on the traffic to occupy their minds.

"I don't think it will quite be like the prodigal son" Makepeace said

"The what?"

"Didn't you do RE at your school?" asked Makepeace surprised

"I went to school in America" he pointed out and Makepeace grunted "When I went that was" he added as an after thought

Makepeace looked at him disparagingly "Now don't go makin assumptions – there were too many kids and not enough teachers so we shared the school day out – a few hours each." This time she looked in disbelief "it's the truth" he defended himself.

Whether or not she believed him Makepeace couldn't decide but it time had passed away and they were about to enter Spikings Office.

"After you" Dempsey stood back to let Harry in front

"Coward" she replied "I thought you were a man"

"A gentleman" he countered "I was taught ladies before gentlemen"

Makepeace took one step back "Well don't mind me Dempsey" and forced him to step inside first.

In the event it made no difference; Spikings waited for them both to stand before him. He took Harry's letter out of the in tray on his desk and held it up, then he tore it into strips.

"Next time you resign Sergeant you will hand your gun in along with your warrant card do you understand? I do not want over emotional games played on my patch, if you can't stand the heat Harry get out of the kitchen – do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Sir, I'm sorry Sir"

Spikings turned to Dempsey "Daish?" he demanded

"We had him cornered; no escape so he took the reverse exit, ran his car backwards into the water" Dempsey explained

"Humph" Spikings grunted not at all sure that Dempsey's magnum hadn't helped the process slightly more but the longer he looked at the two standing in front of him the more he had to hold back the smile of relief that was trying to escape.

"Just tell me if you two can still work together"

"Yeh of course" Dempsey sound frustrated by the question "why wouldn't we?"

Spikings wondered what planet Dempsey was from he rubbed his head and contemplated a reply but decided better of it

"Yes Sir" Makepeace, as always was correct in her address

"Well" Spikings grunted

"Well what exactly Sir?" Makepeace asked with her sugary voice

"Well work then, there's plenty out there - go do some" Spikings barked

Outside Dempsey asked Chas who had taken the other shooting. When he was told it was Tom and Dave he volunteered to go and help them. Makepeace was opened mouthed "Err haven't we got some paperwork to do Dempsey?" she asked in shock.

"Well you're so good at that Sergeant and I sort of prefer the legwork…" he paused as he searched her glare trying to figure out if it was serious but realising that he had never really mastered that skill he tried to continue "… you and me we're a team, I've done my bit so you can do yours – how about that?"

Harry couldn't decided whether to burst out crying or laughing – after the torture and self torment of the last few days she had come back to this!

She took out her gun and her warrant card and put them down on her desk, as she did so she looked Dempsey back in the eye. He looked straight back at her and they duelled in silence. Dempsey was genuinely shocked; Makepeace still couldn't decide if this was a laughing or crying matter. Part of her was distraught that Dempsey's declarations had been so shallow, but strangely the other part of her thought the whole thing so stereotypical of him and their partnership, including the stare out they were currently participating in that she wanted to celebrate that things were normal. Before she had time to go on and consider if the two of them were dysfunctional Dempsey had looked back at the two items on the table and recalled Spikings words "Seems there's some spare space on your desk Sergeant, may be I could do some of that paper work too"

Harry burst out laughing and in response so did Dempsey.

The report writing bored Dempsey but he kept looking up and across at Harry and contemplated her beauty. May be she hadn't quite got his message, he was sure she would – he'd just have to give it a bit longer. As they walked down to their cars he asked "So you want to do a show or something this weekend?"

Makepeace bit the side of her lip, unsure how to explain. She opened the drivers' door of her car and turned to Dempsey. "Look I'm sorry Dempsey but this last week has been a bit of a turmoil for me"

"You think it wasn't for me"

"I'm just trying to say that I need a bit of time to sort things out"

"I thought we had"

"Dempsey I've not even sorted out my own head, don't go talking about us"

He was disappointed, He'd told her that he needed her, that he stayed in London for her and her alone – what else was he meant to say he wondered.

"Sure" he replied and Harry knew he was far from happy from the sullen tone but she needed space.

"Look I'm not about to resign again"

He smiled deliberately "Just give me your gun Makepeace"

"You'll just have to take my word instead Lieutenant" Harry sat in her car and started the engine.


	7. Chapter 7

Late next morning Harry walked towards the front door, she hoped it wasn't Dempsey – she really did want the weekend to herself. "Freddy" she sounded surprised.

He smiled "well aren't you going to invite me in?" he asked

"Of course – I just wasn't expecting to see you"

"You weren't?"

"We didn't have an arrangement did we?" Harry questioned

"No, it was a different matter" Harry looked confused "Harry my dear" her father continued "you and I have an agreement not to interfere but I have heard rumours about the Natural History Museum …" he let his uncertainty hang

"Oh that"

"Well?"

"Come in Freddy; coffee?" Harry made a pot of coffee avoiding any discussion and served it in the drawing room.

"So is it true?" Freddy asked as he put his cup down

"That depends on what you have heard" Harry was cagy and hedged her bets

"Harriet you know I'll support you whatever you decided to do in your life but I don't understand how you can give up a career you fought so hard for. I thought you were happy with your work and" he paused "with Dempsey"

"I was" Freddy looked at her "No, truly" she looked at him waiting for more and sighed "Ok I saw Dempsey shot" Freddy sat bolt upright "only the gun didn't fire – but it made me question if I could cope with such a scenario."

"So why did you go and find Professor Copson? I don't understand"

"I'm doing some different work – you know how I love history and archaeology – it's quite fascinating you know"

"I don't, and I'm minded to think that you could put me in there and study a living dinosaur – but continue – you were saying you find it interesting."

Harry was unsure of what to say, Freddy looked around then in the absence of anything from Harry restarted "what's this all about Harry?"

"Work Freddy – that's where I should be now – working"

"Is it really?" his question penetrated her façade; Harry looked at him and then away.

"Harriet are you in love?"

"I'm not sure what that means or how one knows such a thing." She bit her inner cheek before finding the will power to continue "when I was 15 / 16 I thought I was in love with every boy I met..."

"Tell me about it, you could be heartbroken on a Friday and madly in love again by Sunday" her father smiled

"Daddy how could I be so certain then and so uncertain now?" she asked

"You know your aunt Maud is a terrible gossip" Freddy avoided the question deliberately "she's been bombarding me with questions about William DeKindersley.

Harry smiled, almost laughed "I'm certainly not head over heels in love with William DeKindersley - he is an officious over domineering bore"

"Well I'm inclined to agree, but if you thought otherwise…"

"Freddy he told me off like a child for having a lighter in my handbag"

"Do you smoke now then?" Freddy held liberal opinions, more so normally than his daughter but this was all slightly off track.

"No but some of my friends do…"

"James?" Freddy started to question but Harry hadn't paused

"…the self righteous prig is more concerned about himself and what people think of him…" Harry finally heard her fathers question and the mention of Dempsey's name pulled her up sharp "Yes" she finished

"Yes to what might I ask?" Freddy wondered if it was his age or just Harry's conversation pattern that meant he was lost.

"Yes that's why I carry a lighter; he so often can't find his…" her whole body melted back into the sofa and she smiled as she spoke "…you know he searches every pocket looking for a light and it's usually in a jacket pocket." Her eyes started to sparkle "did you know Cuban cigars aren't sold in America – everything is always bloody political"

Freddy relaxed back as well and listened to his daughter chatter on aimlessly. She moved on from cigars, to cars and how Dempsey still got in the wrong side sometimes and how he teased Fry, then his habit of getting out of the paperwork. Twenty minutes later Harry was still telling tales of Dempsey – enjoying all her stories and the memories. Freddy interrupted her "Harriet I really don't think you should give up your career – you so obviously enjoy the job and working with James"

"Do I? How can you tell?"

"I brought you up my dear." He stood up "Now I quite agree with you that the DeKindersley family are terrible snobs and William is not deserving of any of your attentions, James you know I have a soft spot for. Now just promise me one thing Harry will you please sort out that divorce of yours that is so long overdue" he kissed his daughter goodbye on the cheek.

Feeling strangely a lot calmer she looked over at her desk where the research books were and realised she had an assignment to finish. Harry found herself quite enjoying the task, the ideas were falling into place so much better now that she was more relaxed. She cracked open a bottle of champagne, squeezed some orange juice and automatically reached to put a teaspoon in the bottle neck. She found a smile creeping out and contemplated how dangerous a game her and James had played in the past few days. There was no way on earth she could replace him with anybody else; she ran the stem of the spoon around the bottle before letting it slip in 'I think I'm in bloody love with you bloody Lieutenant James Dempsey' she sipped her bucks fizz and continued 'I just wish that you felt the same about me' and before she started to panic about what she would do in the future she knuckled back to work on the historic evidence of ferns in fossils. Dinosaurs may be extinct she thought but the jury remained out on Neanderthal man, however she really was relieved by the outcome so far though.

It occurred to her that she hadn't even told her Father that she had decided to continue her police career. She picked up the phone and dialled his London Number.

"Freddy" Now her father felt temporarily anxious, his assumptions may have been wrong "I didn't tell you I decided to go back to SI10" Harry continued

"You didn't need to" he breathed an inward sigh of relief

"You heard that too?" She wondered at his sources of information

"No my darling, I knew you would do the right thing"

"How" she asked before restraining her self

"Oh I just listened to the evidence"

"What evidence"

"Oh there's plenty around, most of it you told me"

"I did!" she wondered what she had said

"You should just listen to that heart of yours sometimes rather than your head"

She smiled and shook her head "Daddy you're amazing do you know that"

"So are you Harry, so are you – don't you ever forget that"

She thanked him again and as she returned to the pile of books and commission she allowed herself to pause and reflect again - what did Dempsey feel? Harry thought back over the past weeks, at the wedding when they caught the ostrich he had asked for the photo: "For us". There definitely was an "us" but what was us? Was it Lieutenant Dempsey and Sergeant Makepeace crime team extraordinaire? Or was it Dempsey and Makepeace friends, always good friend or was "us" James and Harry lovers for life. What did "us" mean to James?


	8. Chapter 8

Dempsey had a quiet weekend, he cleaned his flat, washed and even ironed, went to the gym Saturday and ran 5 miles on Sunday. He really wasn't too sure exactly how life lay ahead but he decided he wanted a clean fresh start. The only two things he had actually told Harry was that she was replaceable, which was as far from the truth as north is from south. His life had become Harry, and he had been desperate enough to get on his knees and plead his declaration across the great hall of the Natural History Museum. I need you was the second thing – oh and a third that he wouldn't work in London without her. Did the dinosaur know that 'I need' you encompassed so much? Was that what made Harry come back? Or was it just her first love of police work, he was not sure at all. Did his resignation have any influence or was it just the pull of 'Charlie 5 come in' that she couldn't resist?

The whole series of events had come as a shock to him primarily because he had assumed Harry had gotten his message that he cared and secondly because although he still wasn't convinced of Harry's feelings towards him Spikings suggestion that 'May be she doesn't think you care for her in that way' encouraged him in a bizarre fashion.

He kicked himself for not biting the bullet when he denied Simone had said anything about him and Harry, and he was beginning to get a sneaky feeling that Harry had also avoided the subject then. With that in mind and a fresh determination he scanned the theatre listings and events columns of The Times; he need to take her somewhere special, he considered the ballet but he really wanted something a little more informal. As he turned the pages he glanced down the births marriage and death columns. The name Julia Powell jumped out and he laughed out loud, considering how the announcement had obviously been delayed with all the confusion surrounding the wedding and the arrest. Suddenly he had a recollection and he jumped up and grabbed the phone. "Chas we still got all the paperwork for Sammy Powell?" he asked. As the case hadn't gone to court it was around, Chas agreed to look it out whilst Dempsey drove in. Dempsey tossed one piece of paper aside after the other until he pounced "ah" he said with relief, and copied a phone number down. He replaced all the files in a stack and turned to Chas "What are you doing here in anyway?" he thought to ask.

"Bit of over time; 'upstairs' wanted a few cases completed" Chas explained. Dempsey looked at his watch – "you fancy a beer?" he asked

"Sure – I just need to get this lot back to main file; do you want me to take the Powell stuff as well if you're finished?"

"Thanks" Dempsey waited for Chas to leave before he dialled the number "Is that Sparkenhoe Photography? Yeh! This is Lieutenant Dempsey from SI 10 I need a photograph taken at the Powell Wedding for evidence – can I come round and get it printed off? Sure, thanks I'll be there within the hour."

Chas came back and Dempsey explained he needed a detour first. Dempsey came out of Sparkenhoe photography and tossed the brown envelope on the parcel shelf, Chas wasn't in the slightest bit curious for which Dempsey was grateful and they made their way to the pub.

Sunday Dempsey completed his 5 mile run, actually ironed some shirts and rearranged his dressing table to accommodate his newly acquired photo.


	9. Chapter 9

Determined not to be late, or to give any cause for further speculation Harry drove herself into work and arrived at 9.00 promptly. To be honest she was lightly taken aback to see Dempsey already sitting at his desk sifting through papers.

After a quite weekend and plenty of sleep Dempsey had been pleased to get to work. He watched Harry's surprise as she registered his presence. As she slipped off her jacket and placed her handbag by her chair he poured her a drink and brought it round to her "So did you sort things out?" he asked he asked hopefully unsure of what else he could say. She looked at him trying to work out where he was coming from

"You said you had to clear your head" Dempsey clarified as she obviously had failed to grasp his question.

"Oh that!" she tried to mask the stress she was still feeling about having to come to work when she had told Professor Copson she had a free week to work on the exhibition "I've been a bit too busy". Dempsey felt duly dismissed and the peace and confidence he had felt over the weekend flew out of the window, never the less he tried once again "You want to go somewhere tonight? We can get this paper work nailed and skip school" he suggested only stumbling over his words once.

"Sorry Dempsey I'm really quite busy at the moment" It was guilt that racked Harry and made her reply terse but the only reading Dempsey could make was that she was putting distance between themselves, and as much as she could.

The tension was back and everyone in the office could sense it. By 10.30 Spikings could bear it no longer, he stride out of his office "I want that report about Daish and all his connections on my desk by lunch time" he demanded for the sake of something to demand. He looked at Dempsey who seemed more intent on rearranging a rubber band around the top of a biro "Did you hear me lieutenant"

"The sergeant's writing it"

"How can she write it when she wasn't there!"

"We're a team Boss, you know that; we share the work"

At that Makepeace passed the report over to Dempsey, along with a pen "There – I've done my part, you have to do yours and remember Joyce is in a coma – so she can't help you"

Spikings groaned things seemed the worse they'd been for months, he watched Harry move over to the coffee area and glared knowingly at Dempsey.

Dempsey shrugged his shoulders, he had no idea and right now Spikings suggestion of Thursday night in the pub seemed way off target. "If might make a suggestion Dempsey…"

"Not here, not in public…"

"Write the bloody report" Spikings turned on his heel and as he passed Harry he beckoned her into his office. She shut the door behind her.

"A little birdie tells me you got yourself another job Sergeant"

"It's only temporary – helping my old Professor set up an exhibition at the Natural History Museum Sir – it opens Thursday night with a preview for members of the museum interest group."

"Well might I remind you that you work for me and this week is no exception; I want your full attention on every detail, every report, every investigation. You do understand don't you Sergeant, after all that is your title is it not?" Spikings seared his words through her silent protestations and she simply replied "Yes" before turning to walk out.

Dempsey watched her come out and as she reached his desk he turned back to the typewriter in front of him.

The phone rang in Spikings office and just a few moments later he put his head back outside the door. "Joyce Hargreaves has come out of her coma" he announced. He looked at both Dempsey and Makepeace studiously typing, perhaps when that report is on my desk you two may consider going to see her. They looked at each other, both with that same question 'when would they ever get the measure of him'.

"What say we call in the Bramcote for drink?" suggested Dempsey when they finally escaped sometime after two. The silence between them was awkward and both downed their drink quickly as a result.

"You like to do this museum work?" Dempsey asked

"Uh hum, it's interesting"

"And this isn't?" he tried desperately to undertand

"What sitting here in a pub wondering what to say?" It was panic gnawing away and leaving an awakward pain but not knowing that just left Dempsey floundering for more words in the face of such opposition

"You'd rather to be there now?" he was amazed

"No, I came back to work here but I do want to complete my project" Makepeace was deliberate

"Since when have you cared about that stuff? You can't seriously tell me you find things that old interesting"

"You can't fail to show your ignorance" they began to spark off again

"It's got nothing to do with life in the 20th century"

"On the contrary it has a lot to offer to today"

"Well let some other person do all that you're need here Sergeant"

"What to write up reports for you, that's all you seem to need me back for" She certainly hadn't seen much of 'I need you here with me in London' Dempsey, it seemed back to square one - he had no interest in her as a person.

Dempsey was stumped again, he wanted so much to deny it, to explain why he wanted her back but as he tried to speak his mouth opened but no words came out and he felt like a gaping goldfish.

"I feel I have a duty to see the project to completion and my interest has been longstanding, from before I joined the police so don't you go condemning me Lieutenant"

"I'm just trying to understand what's going on"

"Well I don't so if you find out tell me do" she got up and walked out

"Where you going"

"To see Joyce, that was what we were supposed to be doing"

Dempsey turned back into the pub

"What are you doing?"

"Getting another drink"

"It's closed" Harry looked at her watch

"It's private" he took the whisky and downed it in one and indicated for another

"Dempsey" Makepeace was infuriated

"Somehow I don't think St Hargreaves will be that impressed with a visit from me to her sick bed"

"She did say you were down right rude"

"With due cause" he confirmed, not that he seemed repentant

"With no cause Dempsey, it was me you were yelling at not her"

"Well you weren't there to yell at were you? You were walking round the museum amongst all the fossils"

"Well neither am I staying here for you to be crass and rude to me now; I'll phone in"

Dempsey watched her go then knocked back his second straight shot.


	10. Chapter 10

"So how was Joyce?" Spikings asked as he passed in the corridor

"Sgt Makepeace went alone"

"What!"

"I reasoned my presence might be more of a set back"

"I didn't give you an out from the office for nothing Dempsey" Spikings gave him a glaring knowing look which Dempsey read

"Look Boss -I don't think it's there; it's kinda difficult at the moment"

Spikings groaned but having nothing else to add left it.

Joyce was asleep when Harry arrived and the staff were anxious she rested; her husband reassured Harry that all would be well and thanked her for coming. Harry apologised for not being at work and tried to explain that she felt guilty and Frank, Joyce's husband, had tried to reassure her of the buzz Joyce had got by being back in the field again. He omitted any comment about Dempsey and Harry got the feeling that it was perhaps a good idea James hadn't made the trip to the hospital. She rang Chas to update the department and made her way home, grateful for the extra hour she could extract from the day.

Dempsey volunteered to sit on the stake out with Tom. It was behind a club in Knightsbridge looking for photograph blackmailing, it seemed better than going home. His mind was in over drive going round and round the same route: he only stayed here to work with Harry - if she wasn't interested he ultimately needed to go back to America. If she'd come back because she didn't want to quit the police but she didn't want to work with him then he'd better start to make plans.

The circular thoughts drove him mad and he was grateful for any distraction the observations of the comings and goings brought and equally grateful that Tom didn't prattle on endlessly.

He didn't relish the idea of the NYPD - he needed a clean break and another whole new chapter to his life. It was something that Tom innocently said about Beverley Hills and the fame came that gave him the inspired thought; he'd phone his friend Harry Bosch in LAPD.

Finally back home he spoke on the phone to Detective Bosch. As he did so Dempsey turned his newly acquired photo over and over in his hand unsure whether looking at them together was more or less painful than the blank back as if it was all over.

"You got woman troubles?" the American asked him

"Big time mate" Dempsey replied

"They must be bad to come all the way to LA to escape" Bosch reflected

"It's complicated"

"It always is"

Dempsey looked again at the photo damn he wasn't yet ready to give her up.

"Look this is just a back up Harry he said, just in case – I'm gonna fight on a bit longer"

"Well the sunshine's here if you ever need it" Harry offered and they spent a few more minutes catching up on Bosch's life and the politics of policing before biding their farewells.

Back at home Harry had answered the phone quite brightly. Her spat with Dempsey had been nothing other than normal in her mind and she had come straight home and worked for the last 5 hours on finalising the exhibition layout. "Hiya" she had said expecting it to be Dempsey who never had a second thought about ringing her either late at night or early in the morning.

"Harriet?"

"William?"

"Well yes actually" William confirmed, he stuttered slightly as he began to continue "I heard that you were working on the Fern exhibition at the Natural History now"

Makepeace knew that meant he thought she was now more gainfully employed and was infuriated at his audacity.

"I heard some interesting ascertations as well" she coldly replied

"I wouldn't believe everything you heard Harriet"

"Neither would I William" she fielded back but he missed the point altogether and Harry decided he could wait and hear from any source other than her that she still worked for the Met.

"Harriet I just wanted to let you know that Mummy and I will be at the opening night giving you our full support on Thursday"

"Proff Copson and I are hoping for a good gathering, I hope you find it interesting William, now I must be gong I have an awful lot to get done." She hung up abruptly and contemplated how much she still had to get done. She worked into the early hours of the morning before finally giving in to her tiredness.

Dempsey reckoned the extra shift on recon had earned him a late start and it was just after 10 when he made his way into the SI10 building.

"Huh well here's Batman – what time do you call this?" Spikings asked but not really wanting an answer he continued "I don't suppose you know the where abouts of Robin do you?"

"Why do you think I should?" asked Dempsey

Spikings raised his eyebrow at Dempsey who decided that Spikings was getting far out of order "No I do not" he hissed "for your direct information Sir I have not seen Sgt Makepeace since she left to visit Sgt Hargreaves yesterday Sir!" the emphasis he laid on 'Sir' did not go unnoticed, but only Spikings understood the glare in Dempsey's stare.

At that point Harry put her head around the door trying to see if she could creep in unnoticed but all was lost. "Well it seems the other half of the dynamic duo is also late; that I'll address later – right now I want you both at the Ritz Hotel, it seems that our over night stake out has turned up a few interesting visitors and a rather distressed guest.

Reassuringly actually working the interviews fell into a normal routine and both Dempsey and Makepeace happily buried themselves into work. It took a couple of hours to complete the work and as they were about to leave Dempsey looked at the restaurant.

"How about a late lunch?" he asked innocently and then seizing the smoothness with which that had come out "or we could come back for dinner tonight what do say?"

"I've got some serious dates to attend to Dempsey; I can't be frolicking around with you"

"So I'm not…"

"… Dempsey right now I need to be focused and you're not helping"

"I thought you…"

"Look you concentrate on this and leave me to sort out my evening"

"Sure"

'O god' Harry thought, she had no idea what was eating him, she didn't have time even to attempt to work it out her mind was trying to keep so many plates spinning in the air at once and she had just thought of the best way to illustrate the linking of the Permian period to the Triassic period. "Look I need to make a phone call" she said and made her way across to the reception.

'That fing posh prick' thought Dempsey, he kept his own mind all the way back and spoke only to Tom about the case when he got back, unsure of how to handle his reaction to Harry.


	11. Chapter 11

Makepeace took a phone call and looked rather awkward as she made an excuse to leave the office. To Dempsey it was an obvious lie, but everyone else seemed to buy it so he just watched her go and let the confusion in his soul rise. It gave him a headache and he wandered outside for some fresh air. As he pushed the main door open and grey haired old man with round spectacles looking every part of a crazy scientist made to enter the building.

"Could you help me please young man" he demanded "only I'm looking for a Harriet…" he went to say Winfield but paused as he remembered to use her correct name "Makepeace"

"You are?"

"Professor Copson, I used to teach young Harriet and she's giving me some of her time…"

"Well you're outta luck, she's gone off and she never said where to"

"Oh" he sounded disappointed "only it's becoming quite urgent and I really do need to clarify a few things"

"About what exactly?"

"This exhibition on Thursday. I am so very grateful that she's been allowed to have this week off from her proper job to continue to help me. My other co-author had to pull out a month ago and when she rang up wanting some work…" he paused

"You do know the lady in question don't you?"

"I'm Jim Dempsey her partner"

"Ah yes, so you know all about her little …" he didn't know what to call it

"Yeh, I work with her here at the factory" the Proff looked highly confused "sorry the SI10 offices"

"The police force" professor Copson clarified "you're one of the detectives like Harriet"

"Yeh…" Dempsey paused, his mind was racing Harry was working both jobs; if she told the old guy she wasn't working here she was cramming a second days work into her evenings and nights – at least she wasn't out on the town with the prick he thought. Questions started racing through his mind, he had a chance to try to understand some of this history stuff and clarify the events of the past week but he was unsure how to explain what he wanted to know and still didn't know if this mad hatter professor would understand but he didn't get a chance – the Proff continued

"You know it is just the same investigating the world of ancient history, before mankind was around. We collect the evidence, sometimes we come across it by chance, sometimes we know from other research where to start looking and then we study all the evidence and piece together the order of events and what happen. The only difference being that there are no living witnesses to ask."

"Well sometimes they ain't too much help" Dempsey replied

"That's why Harriet is so good at this, she can read all the different reports and findings and look at different aspects and then her mind starts to see the links"

"Your dam right"

"And for this exhibition she has really mastered how to present all the evidence so that the ordinary man in the street can see how everything is connected. Are you more interested in the Palaeozoic or Mesozoic eras Mr Dempsey?"

"Well I gotta be honest this old stuff doesn't really do it for me but it seems to for Harry and I don't really get why"

"Well if you ask me with Harriet it's not so much the subject, more of the process – using her fine mind to solve the connections"

It actually made some sense to Dempsey and he asked the Proff to explain a bit about the ferns. This added level of interest aroused his interest in Dempsey and after a decent amount of introductions to ferns and the pre dinosaur times he turned the conversation around to why Ms Makepeace was seeking work in his project.

Dempsey said they had had a few tough weeks with a lot of death but he didn't really know, one moment they had been after crazy Joe, the next she had walked off but he had persuaded her to come back.

"Well young man" the Proff said "I'm glad she's back where she belongs." He paused haltingly and continued "but these moments, these crisis rarely have anything to do with the stated reason, usually in my more than extensive experience it has something to do with love."

"How can you tell?" Dempsey asked with genuine interest in the answer

"You look at the evidence in just the same way as you do at work or on a project."

"But where's the evidence? What's the evidence?"

"Well I rather suppose you're the investigator on that one young man but I tell you what - would you like me to show you round what we have completed so far?"

Dempsey decided that if Makepeace could go awol so could he and he followed the professor to Kensington, with a slight foreboding in case Harry showed up there. He needn't have worried, having taken time out to collect a last minuet research paper and some items from the British Library she return to SI10 aware that Spikings would cut her no slack.

Dempsey and the professor made their way around the exhibition, stopping now and again for his guide to say how Harriet had detected this and found evidence for that. "But most of this is your investigation Professor Copson?" Dempsey clarified

"Yes, and we have a lot of police constables or at least their equivalent working away in the background but your Harriet is the one who makes sense of all the important dates."

"More important dates" Dempsey spoke out loud and grinned

"I'm sorry?" Professor Copson asked

"It's just something Sgt Makepeace said earlier today"

"Ah well that's what I mean about being a detective – you gather the evidence what ever the case or investigation and you examine it and link it all together"

"It don't all add up, some makes me think this way, some that way" Dempsey sighed

"Isn't that always the case in your job? Sometimes I believe witnesses say one thing when they know the other to be true."

Dempsey rubbed his hand through his hair, "she's quite complicated"

"And I don't doubt she's not the only one. Now she wanted a breathing space for some reason, she chose to return to work for a reason why don't you go away and weigh up all your evidence sir."

The encounter was suddenly over and Professor Copson started to make his way back towards his study when he turned "Thursday night 7.00pm, I'd be right here if I were you." He smiled "In fact come a little early and see the finishing touches"

"Thank you" Dempsey suddenly wished he was old and grey haired, or at least he wished he had the wisdom aged seem to bring some people. He thought with a wry smile that being a young male had certain other advantages that were made to ensure humankind didn't become extinct and all of a sudden he could hope he may yet perform those with Harry.


	12. Chapter 12

Harry noted that Dempsey seemed to back off and all day Wednesday and Thursday he simply seemed to knuckle down and do more paper work than she had known him ever attack before. Somehow he also managed to manipulate things so that they had an interview mid afternoon that he volunteered to do alone and so desperate for the time Makepeace had just taken the hours as gifts without question or even thanks.

She had been at the museum until 3am Wednesday night / Thursday morning preparing everything and now it was Thursday evening.

Just after she had arrived home a huge bouquet of flowers had arrived with a note expressing good wishes for the night. She rang her father to thank him but he protested that they weren't from him and in horror she concluded they were from William. The prospect of seeing him there filled her with dismay and she slowed her preparations unconsciously which meant she rushed into the auditorium late. She skimmed the crowd with her eyes but was dissatisfied with the result. She should have been pleased with the numbers attending the launch event but there were only two people she was interested in seeing there and now it looked as if neither had come.

It had been as she rushed off home that Harry had finally told Dempsey that tonight was the launch event for the project she had worked on at the Natural History Museum. She had to admit it wasn't much notice and she regretted not being more honest with him earlier but it had been so preoccupying she had had no time to reason these things out. She took a drink and started to circulate, protesting frequently that it wasn't just her work that was on display but that of a whole team and the years of work of Professor Copson. Suddenly she found herself in front of an overbearing woman dressed in a twin set and pearls.

"Harriet Winfield"

"Harriet Makepeace Mrs DeKindersley, I married remember"

"Ah yes my dear but I assumed as you hade filed for divorce you would be reverting to your maiden name"

"My business has nothing to do with you and is entirely private" Makepeace was furious but refrained from lowering herself to ask how the information had been acquired. She hadn't told anybody so she assumed it must have been the family solicitor and that seriously disappointed her. Mrs DeKindersley though proudly went on to explain how her Godson had passed his degree and was now working at the Solicitors practice.

"I think you'll find the term 'was' is explicitly correct" Harry tersely replied and started to move away and then thought to add "I trust you have a touch more discretion than he"

Mrs DeKindersley had an incredibly thick skin and just walked along with her asking 'If she thought this occupation much more befitting?'

Makepeace stopped and turned back to her "I'm not so sure I understand the question?"

"More becoming than a policewoman?"

"Mrs DeKindersley I'm not sure what else you may think you have heard but just for your information I'm NOT about to jack in the day job" Harry made to step away again and was flabbergasted by the woman's continued utterances "Such a shame no one is here to support you dear, my William thinks it is so important to show…"

"Mrs DeKindersley" Harry cut across her "there are around 60 people here I am very happy." She tried to sound as definitive as a terse reply with a firm cut off at the end could be but her tormentor just continued on. "Ah my dear" Harry was now getting enraged at the frequent use of the term, especially given that it was more than 100 percent false "but I saw you scanning the room; who ever you were looking for is not here" she said knowingly and despite Harry's look of prostration again continued stoically "I guess it's not too late to find out where your true support comes from."

The battle axe had worn Makepeace down and she took the punch with a sickening stomach; she just had no energy left to fight at that moment in time and simply waited for the next few statements to pommel her down to the ground.

"William is here tonight" with no response she just continued "when he heard that you were working for Proff Copson he felt he may have been a little hasty in some of his assumptions" Harry suddenly saw who the push had been behind the whole William encounter, it hadn't been him as much as his mother and she despised his weakness whilst at the same time pitied him for having such a woman for a mother. "No Mrs DeKindersley I don't think he was in any way"

"William was talking to Proff Copson earlier tonight…" She didn't even actually hear Harry's retort however as if on cue Professor Copson took to the small portable lectern to deliver his welcome.

Harry stood at the front next to the professor as he welcomed everyone and thanked Lady Harriet for her invaluable support and research. He went on to say how her skills as a first class detective had helped put the present evidence in such a compelling manner. He said he hoped it wouldn't be the last time she took time out to help him on a project but that he did appreciate that she had an amazing career to consider in one of the elite London Police squads.

Harry stood next to give an outline to the exhibition and a brief verbal guide around the various displays. As she was speaking her eyes started scanning again until they rested on William DeKindersley and his mother. Her sentence stuttered and stumbled as she guiltily stopped her looking whilst she continued to speak. The brightness that had lit her face as she had talked passionately also drained away and several of the more observant within the congregation also noted it and wondered.

The speeches over and the exhibition officially open Harry stood down. Professor Copson touched her shoulder "I had an enthralling discussion with your friend Harriet; I do hope that now you've settled back to your career you'll find a nice level status in your personal life as well"

Makepeace cursed inwardly "Did you speak for long?" she asked knowing that William would expose his true boorish colours after 5 minutes maximum.

"Oh gosh – well yes, 20 minutes I'd say. He was lapping up all the evidence – that's another reason I mentioned your police mind set in those opening remarks; it certainly has brought great clarity of thinking to your mind"

Harry gave a small sarcastic laugh "Sometimes it doesn't feel like it at all; I still feel as if I am wading through murky waters."

"Well as I said your friend really seemed to understand you so well and he has a real concern for you. I don't think he would stand in your way if you wanted to do a bit more of this from time to time."

"I bet; but for me it's out there, on the streets that I can make a real difference."

"Just as I was saying Harriett" the professor said but Harry wasn't so sure, however he continued "but do remember to come and help me out once a year; oh and do let me know the date of the wedding" he finished

"Oh I don't think there will be any weddings" as Harry was speaking she saw Mrs DeKindersley slide her way towards Proff Copson with William following dutifully in her wake. Harry decided to slip away; Mrs DeKindersley started well before she reached the professor thus ensuring his attention over any neighbouring visitors "Fascinating exhibition I must say Professor Copson, William has found it absolutely mesmerizing haven't you William? Come and discuss the carbon dating of leaf material with the professor again William"

Harry watch William, he definitely was good looking but all that flowed from her heart was a loathing and she detested him all the more for beguiling her mentor – even he thought she needed to 'settle down'.

She positioned herself on the far side of the room and watch both Professor Copson and the two DeKindersleys talking and laughing. She lowered her head, suddenly feeling sick. Nothing it seemed was any further resolved in her life: she had finally recognised that she was truly in love with James, resigned to avoid facing the possibility of seeing him die, gone back to work because – she contemplated that one once again – because she didn't want to see his life screwed up by him quitting the police and also because she hoped, really hoped, that there may be a time when there would be something more between her and him after all he had said some things… But already her decision to go back was being called into question – was she really going to end up marrying someone like bloody William? Oh it would never be him but her disappointment that Dempsey hadn't shown up, not even late, was not sitting well in her turbulent mind. On top of that although she had instructed her father on no account to come she had expected him to be there and he wasn't either – so much for supporting her whatever her decision. She watched everyone pass around the exhibition, look and rave but felt nothing other than bitter disappointment.


	13. Chapter 13

The crowds started to thin, she realised she must have been standing absorbed in her own thoughts for some time. Professor Copson made his way back over to her.

"So you had another chat with William" she smiled reminding herself that none of this was his fault

"Oh I think that young mans mother did most of the talking"

"Did he really say that stuff about evidence and detective work?" Harry thought that may be a sign of some understanding on his part as a small part of her brain conceded that she was looking across the room at a very handsome man who may just need to get out of his mothers clutches to improve.

"What? Sorry! Yes my dear; I got the distinct impression that he was a secret admirer of your reasoning skills and liked the way you could link facts by giant leaps of deduction…"

Harry sighed irresolutely, feeling a confusion rising within her, they were words she longed to hear, but they were spoken by the wrong man.

"… they don't seem to have history in America ; he really couldn't grasp the passage of billions of years and how old fossilised ferns could be."

Harry looked back at the professor her lack of comprehension self evident

"Your American friend" Proff Copson explained

"Dempsey? Dempsey was here?" Harry asked disbelievingly

"Of course, I told you I spent nearly half an hour with him before…"

"I thought you meant…" Harry glanced across the room to where the DeKindersleys were still involved in conversations.

"I don't think he could hold an opinion of his own" the disparaging tone of the word 'he' clarified a lot in Harry's mind. "Anyway" the Proff continued "I really think I may be turning into an absent minded professor because he dashed off when Martha my secretary came looking for you with news that your Father had been taken to Queen Marys with a possible broken hip"

Everything happened at once! Harry registered that Dempsey had shown up and obviously got involved with discussing the exhibition in fine detail: simultaneously she also registered that the absence of her father was explained by a fall.

"Daddy! What did they say? Where did you say they had taken him?" the questions flooded out

"St Marys. Mr Dempsey went off straight away to see how he was and told me not to tell you until the end of the event unless he called because the situation was worse than expected"

Harry grinned like a Cheshire cat at the realisation that neither of her men had let her down, then her smile sullied as she reprimanded herself for doubting either of them but there was little time for any reaction. A squeak of a door caused Harry to look up and across to the entrance where Dempsey was walking in.

All the information she had just absorbed combined with seeing him standing there produced it's own response: Harry ran.

"Dempsey" escaped her lips before she started to move. The remaining guests turned at the sound of Harry's cry and watched as within an instant her arms were flung around his neck.

Slightly shell shocked James instinctively just drew her in and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Tell me what I've done and I'll do it again" he smiled at her "How did it go then?" he asked as he pulled back away still holding onto her waist.

"Good" she nodded and confirmed "good" then the full implications of everything finally sank in "How's Freddy?"

"He'll be fine, he's a tenacious old goat"

"Hey that's my father" she poked his chest

"He's got a broken hip, they'll replace that later tonight and he'll be in for about two weeks."

"I should go and see him" her anxiety starting to rise "now!" she declared

"Harry they're taking him down to theatre as we speak, then he will need to sleep"

"But he's my father I need to be there"

"The sister asked that no one disturbed him until he had had a nights rest after the operation"

"Was he cross that I wasn't there, I should have been there"

"He was frustrated with himself but not with you, but you can phone the hospital and talk with Sister Moore yourself…" Dempsey was suddenly aware of the eyes resting on the two of them, he scanned them back "Hey is that?…" he whispered into the side of her left ear

"Yes, with his mother" she giggled conspiratorially back flipping randomly between concern for her father and delight that James had been at the museum.

"You want me to challenge him to a duel?"

Harry laughed but declined to reply.

By this time Professor Copson was halfway across the room and asking "How is Lord Winfield?"

"He's going down to theatre but he'll be fine." Dempsey replied glancing around wondering who in their right mind came to an exhibition launch. Harry slipped out of the auditorium and found a phone.

Dempsey, buoyed up by Harry's response to his appearance eyed William De Kindersley with amusement. It was Proff Copsons unexpected invitation that brought the two of them closer, standing close to Dempsey he also spotted William and called him over. "William" he invited in such a way that made refusal impossible and William was obliged to move across the room to join the two men.

"This is the other police officer I was telling you and your mother about; he really understands how an investigation works and it doesn't seem to matter what the subject is about" he winked at Dempsey as he said the latter part

The desk clerk had gone to fetch the sister in charge of the orthopaedic ward but she had taken her time to reach the phone. Harry waited impatiently wildly imagining the greatest of disasters, but eventually she could voice her fears with the nurse who had then set about reassuring her. It had been near the end of the conversation that Harry had been thrown completely off guard. Sister Moore had simply and matter of factly drawn the conversation to a halt by pointing out that she had already explained everything to Mrs Makepeace's husband.


	14. Chapter 14

As Harry had waited for Sister Moore to come to the phone Dempsey and William eyed each other up for a second time.

"Well I pride myself with my own investigative skills" Williams' supercilious defence began

"Oh so you do investigations then? Examine the evidence and all that?" Dempsey questioned with a good deal of scepticism

"I do"

"So you done some investigation here there then William"

"I already said so"

"And how's your evidence coming along"

"Oh I'd say it's stacking up nicely" William smiled smugly

"On what basis" Dempsey asked

"Sorry?"

"What makes you think you have any evidence?" Dempsey clarified

"This – the exhibition: as the professor here said using the mind is such an important part of any investigation"

"And what does that mean?"

"Choosing a career, where to work is such an important decision don't you think so?"

"As is getting all the facts" Dempsey pointed out with a smile playing on his mouth then added with a tease "Don't go forgetting the leg work"

"I beg your pardon"

"Any investigation is 50 percent leg work – you done any of that?"

"I have no idea what you are alluding to Mr Dempsey but I'm sure your impropriatory is unnecessary." Retorted William with absolutely no understanding of Dempsey

"Well I rather like leg work and Harry…"

"…I have drawn my conclusions from the evidence Mr Dempsey. Lady Harriet may have developed some slack habits from her time with you in the so called police force but with just a little time spent in decent company and working here at the museum…"

"…And I thought that the only fossils were the ones in the cases…" both men were now cutting across each other looking for stab points

"…If you'd been here when Harriet was so animatedly taking us through the exhibition you would understand some of the ferns from the Jurassic period are still around today…"

"…Well I never realised…"

"I didn't expect you would have" the haughty response did not fend Dempsey's attack off

"…I never realised that there were any brachiosaurus alive as well"

"Brachiosaurus?"

"Sure – you know we could go see one out there in the main museum if you want - they're the big dinosaur with the little brain…" Dempsey was getting sharper, wounding deeper

"I'm quite familiar with what a brachiosaurus is" William was still countering unaware in many ways how vulnerable he was leaving himself

"Yeh I'm sure you are." Dempsey's cutting words failed to do the damage because William failed to understand the implications. Dempsey tried another tact "Is this about unearthing facts or passion?" Dempsey questioned

"Surely this is a purely factual investigation." William blushed at the word passion, let alone the concept

"Oh – you see - I'm not so sure"

"Well I think the art of investigation is to revel an understanding of the subject, in the same way that Harriet did about the ferns thought the time line"

"And how would you research?" Dempsey asked nonchantly

"Linked familial lines, common history, shared habitats"

"You think that gives you an understanding of the way the subject works? What about their movements, the way they react, where they draw security, how they protect themselves?"

"There's always evidence if you know the right places to look."

"And you have the evidence"

"I have all the evidence I need Mr Dempsey"

"Well you ain't got all the facts sunshine – and that's the first rule - wouldn't you say so professor?

Professor Copson sensed that this exchange was working a level he didn't quite grasp but had suspicions. "You've met before?" he asked as brightly as he could feign.

"I wouldn't say that exactly"

"For the briefest of moments."

The two men spoke over each other yet again

"Well if I may give you some advice from an old man: you both have more than sufficient evidence from which you should be quite capable of making accurate deductions. With my greater life experience I can assure you that with the very limited evidence in front of me I have complete confidence in my hypothesis."

They both turned to look at him

"Harriet" his proclamation lacked clarification because as he spoke Harry re-entered the room and left both men wondering whether his words had been an explanation or welcome or both. Harry made her way across to where Dempsey stood with her mentor who unbeknown had been blocking her view of William. When she saw the third man she paused, uncertain of her next action.

"Harriet these two gentlemen have been discussing how your passion for history shows through the exhibition and the ways in which all the evidence adds up." Again the professor's invitation drew her across.

Harry looked suspicious "funny" she addressed the professor "Dempsey usually jumps ahead before he gets proof, his leaps of presumption can either be totally brilliant or totally flawed! And William I always found ignored any signs or just perhaps failed to understand their implications."


	15. Chapter 15

Mrs De Kindersley had been watching the conversation out of the corner of her eye desperate to know what was being said whilst pretending to be interested in the achievements of Rose Vaughan at university as re told by her mother desperate to paint her in a good light to the De Kindersley family. When the professor moved on she shifted over to Harry "If your father needs anything do ask" she gave a scornful look to Dempsey and turned back to Lady Vaughan "I'm only offering because Lord Winfield is one of us and I feel we have a duty to support one another"

Harry read the implied digs "Oh" she replied "I have all the support I need: it may be too loud, too brash and too American for your family to understand but let me tell you I like it; I like it a lot – not least because it comes with 100 sincerity"

William had been too stunned when Harry ran across the room to his nemesis to pick up on the information about Lord Winfield. But he heard his mothers offer and turned back to Harry. "Your father is in hospital?" he questioned

"I'm afraid so, it seems he was about to come here and he fell and twisted as he went down and broke his hip."

"And you only just found out? You should be at his side he's an old man – these things can be very bad you know"

"You think I don't" Harry questioned with some annoyance

"Well why aren't you at his bedside?" William demanded with an unnecessary brusqueness in rather a loud voice that caught Dempsey's attention but he choose to keep his back to the idiot and ignore the ill founded accusation.

"What business of yours is that?" Makepeace asked irritably

"I was just concerned that you didn't seem to have been informed"

"I wasn't"

"Why not?"

"Dempsey didn't…" Just as Makepeace started to wonder why on earth she was offering William any explanation William jumped back in with a self righteous indignation "What the hell right does that man think he has? A yank meddling in the affairs of decent people…

"What on earth are you going on about?" now Makepeace was mystified

"I'll give him a piece of my mind"

"I wouldn't if I were you" Harry put out her arm to stop him but he pushed it away and at the same time pushed her back. Taken unawares she stumbled slightly and it was William's aggression towards Harry that Dempsey caught out of the corner of his eye.

As William approached him Dempsey squared up to him but it was William who spoke "You just don't know when you are out of your depth and should be on a plane going back to the pit you came from"

"You just don't know" Dempsey scorned

"You climb out of the gutter and come over here from America…" Dempsey grabbed his tie by the knot and pushed William back against the wall then still holding onto his tie yanked him up off the ground

"Now listen to me you pompous, officious, pretentious lizard you can malign me all you want – you can tell I really don't care. I can scare the shit out of you any time I want but Harry here, Harry's too nice, too lady like but you say one thing out of order about her and I'll stuff your tiny little brain up your ostentatious aristocratic arse"

"Dempsey" Makepeace walked past him as she spoke – "they're all good guys in this room." Her voice neither infuriated or showing pleasure because she really didn't know which she felt the most.

"You think that?"

"For Christ's sake put him down and let's get out of here" she muttered

Makepeace fished unsuccessfully in her handbag for her car keys and remembered the previous ulceration with William over the lighter she was now pushing out of the way. He had stared at it as if it were a piece of moon rock or a creature from Mars. Feeling the silence of his stare descend she had assumed he had seen her gun.

Her mind replayed the unsatisfactory conversation:

_"Sorry does it spook you? I guess not many women carry a gun in their clutch bag"_

_"Please tell me that's not yours"_

_"You know what my job is" she had said glancing up and when she realised his eyes were fixed on the lighter not the gun, she had been gobsmacked_

_"Sorry, it is mine. Is that a problem" Harry had started to raise her defences_

_"Well why do you have it?"_

_"Does it matter?" Harry had asked provocatively, he was annoying her again_

_"I mean you don't smoke do you – that's a filthy, unhealthy habit"_

_Back then Harry had looked at the lighter in her hand - images of Dempsey were flooding back and she had hated the way that William condemned James. "I have friends who do" had been her retort_

_"That doesn't mean you need to have a lighter"_

_"What I choose to do is my business" she defended "And if I smoked?" she had asked out of curiosity_

_"Well you just wouldn't would you, being a Lady and all that"_

_Harry had considered if all that had anything what so ever to do with who smoked and who didn't and concluded that it didn't._

Now she was infuriated with William De Kindersley and his proud pretensions' once again. She spotted her keys and lifted them out of her handbag along with a small white packet "You want some?" she asked holding out a packet of Dempsey's chewing gum to William.

He actually started to turn red then purple and as much as she really didn't care for gum Harry deliberately removed a piece from its wrapper and placed it inside her mouth.


	16. Chapter 16

"Tell you what how about I call round for breakfast and we go see your father before we hit the office?" Dempsey asked Harry, now equally anxious to get away from the current circumstances.

"Call by? You're not sleeping there tonight?" Mrs D Kindersley secretly wished more people had remained close by to hear her public admonishment which she had projected as loud and clearly as she could.

Dempsey looked at her and wondered what on earth she was so wound up about, this was the 20th Century and the 1960s were long ago. "No need, no jerk's let her down" he simply stated as stared at William.

"My solicitor will inform the appropriate authorities about your out burst" William said as he adjusted his tie

"And I may just inform such authorities about solicitors leaking inappropriate of private information" Harry retorted

Dempsey simply didn't care and that annoyed William more so. William adjusted his jacket, tugged his sleeves straight again whilst the words 'before we hit the office' rebounded through his recall. His mind slowly made the connections "Which office?" he asked

"The SI10 ones William, my foray with natural history has finished" Makepeace spoke very precisely to ensure that both William and his Mother both heard. "I guess your informant wasn't that reliable" she added with a grin.

As the De Kindersley stormed off Harry put her arm through Dempsey's "Husband?" she asked

"They said relatives only" he defended. Harry really couldn't care she actually rather liked the idea.

The door slammed as the De Kindersleys exited the room, Dempsey whispered to Harry "You know she ought to watch where she sits - not all of us are living fossils - she might end up in one of your exhibitions" They followed at a decent distance, keen to get going whilst more than keen not to catch up.

Harry laughed and squeezed Dempsey's arm "Mr Makepeace" she sounded the phrase and looked at him, their eyes caught each others and both felt nervous, unsure of how to take the next step. The intensity of their stare became too much and simultaneously both decided to continue their route down the great staircase passing the steps where Dempsey had made his previous declaration. Dempsey finally spoke "Tell me Sergeant – my deductions – are they on target or off?"

"That rather depends on what you have deducted Lieutenant!" she paused wishing like hell she actually knew what he had deducted then hoping he'd made the right ones asked out of the blue "Shall we go to Tramps?"

As they hit the street and walked along in front of the upstairs windows of Professor Copson's offices Dempsey threw his arm around Harry's shoulder and rubbed her upper arm. The professor watched the couple passed below and smiled, 'that's all the evidence one needs' he said to no one in particular.

"You know we should get a taxi straight there, we'll have to leave our cars somewhere so it may as well be here" Harry looked at him shyly as she spoke, her mind had had moved on to the end of the night when they would have had too much to drink, when James would come home with her like he always did.

Dempsey stopped in the middle of the pavement; he thought he had just heard an invitation. His arm moved down from Harry's shoulder to her waist and he stopped walking. He turned her into himself and placed both hands on her waist whilst he looked into her eyes; they were ready, waiting, hoping. His thumb brushed her nose, her cheek, her lips and then the back of his hand ran so lightly down her face. As his knuckles skimmed the surface of her lips she opened them to kiss his hand. With his right hand he brushed her hair back away from her neck and her ear which he caressed with his finger tips. As his hand ran tenderly under her chin he didn't need to tip her face up to him she already had. He cupped her face and kissed her cheek then moved back to check once again he had got things right. He could smell her scent rising from her warm soft skin, she turned her face more to ensure their lips met this time.

They kissed for the briefest of moments, then he pulled off just so slightly enabling him to make that first touch not once more but several times. He kept his kiss so light, the touch of her lips on his, his fingers ran through her hair now he was certain he had made the right deductions he returned to kiss her again, slowly and gently accepting her lips moistening his.

"Dempsey!" he opened his eyes and saw a taxi pull up "You were miles away" Harry said as she opened the door to get in.

"It was a good place" he said unguardedly

Makepeace directed the taxi and then turned to Dempsey "what were you thinking?" she asked

"I was dreaming, not thinking" he murmured

"About what?"

Oh hell, this was it and he opened his mouth with the intention of saying "about this" and kissing her but the words wouldn't flow. Damn it was two words, he considered if there were any other words but he seriously doubted that they would come out of his mouth either.

"Nothin much" he finally said

They watched the traffic for a few minutes, but the silence wanted filling and it was Harry who tried. "James thank you" she said

"No problem; for what?" he asked as an afterthought

"For being there - viewing the exhibition..."

"Well I gotta say I don't see what all those guests see"

"The history of time and what was here before mankind" she started to become animated "the Triassic and the Jurassic periods - how some things change and others never..."

"You know Harry - it wasn't the dinosaurs I came to see" Dempsey cut her off softly.

Harry suddenly realised something she had got wrong "I didn't thank you for the flowers" she said as she leaned up against him "they were lovely" James opened his arm and gathered her in against his chest, "or the fossilised ferns" he added as he leaned his cheek against her head and felt her even breath and the gentle rising and fall of her chest. She was already fast asleep. He played gently with her fringe but she didn't move "I think you're so very tired princess" he whispered.

He redirected the taxi to Camberwell Drive. Not wanting to let go of the shared closeness he was tempted to ask the driver to take a long route but settled for enjoying the present moment. He would remember the texture of her hair, the scent of her skin and the warmth of her body as he lay in his bed later.

"Honey we're home" he gently moved her forward to wake her.

Harry opened her eyes "I thought we were going to Tramps" she yawned

"We'll go another day sweetheart. You need some sleep; you've worked two jobs all week…"

"You know?" she sounded sleepy and surprised

"I found out" he replied. He indicated for the taxi driver to wait and led her up to the front door.

"Aren't you staying?"

"You go to bed, I'll come by and pick you up in the morning then you can go and see your Father"

"Dempsey" she suddenly sounded more awake, her mind suddenly remembering something "I've no food in my fridge"

"We'll go out for breakfast – I know all the best places" he smiled and kissed her cheek "Sleep well Princess"

"Dempsey" he looked into the eyes looking up into his "You're a first class detective" she smiled and kissed her finger then placed it on his lips.

She stepped in doors and Dempsey returned to the taxi.


End file.
